


No.15 Run, Don't Look Back

by LiGi



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [15]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: "run. don't look back", FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hurt Gwaine (Merlin), Mythical Beings & Creatures, no 15, why do i have a thing about pretty faces covered in blood?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiGi/pseuds/LiGi
Summary: Febuwhump 2021 day 15 - "Run. Don't Look Back!"While investigating an old deserted castle Arthur and co come across a terrifying beast, angry about their trespassing.
Relationships: Knights of the Round Table & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137632
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	No.15 Run, Don't Look Back

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by Onehelluvapilot, thanks for waiting for me to finish it!
> 
> Ugh. This one did not want to be written, it took ages and I almost gave up and just skipped this day. But I didn't... so here we are. Not my best work.

The ancient castle seemed to be deserted. There was a quiet eeriness to it, ominous in its silence. The shadows seemed to move, to follow them around. The hairs on the back of Arthur’s neck were bristling, a cold sweat breaking across his forehead. The knights all kept their swords drawn and Merlin was clutching his torch so tightly his knuckles were white.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Merlin whispered.

“You get a bad feeling when you have to use the privy at night time,” Arthur scoffed, trying to let the mocking cover the sense of apprehension he was feeling.

“So would you if you had to go outside in the dark,” Merlin muttered grumpily. “Spoilt prat.”

Arthur opened his mouth to argue but there was suddenly a loud noise from somewhere further into the maze of corridors ahead of them. Six swords swung upwards as their owners crouched, eyes peering through the semidarkness.

“Who dares enter my castle?!” a terrible voice rumbled, screeching and roaring, echoing around as if it was coming from several directions.

All of them clapped their hands over their ears, letting out cries of pain at the noise.

“What was that?” Merlin demanded and cast his eyes around frantically.

“I don’t know!” Arthur said warily, already debating whether to go forwards and investigate or just turn tail and run.

“Some sort of magical beast?” Elyan asked. “A demon?”

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t sound happy,” Gwaine said dryly, as another roar echoed around them.

“Who’s there?” Arthur shouted. Probably not his best idea in hindsight.

“My identity does not concern you, mortal.” The voice was like howling wind, like the clash of swords, the rumble of thunder. “How dare you disturb my sleep.”

Arthur sent a hand signal to the knights; they would go around the sides and investigate. Merlin widened his eyes and shook his head furiously, but Arthur ignored him. They had to try to find and eliminate the threat.

Knees bent, feet near silent against the flagstone floor, the knights and Arthur crept forwards. Except for Lancelot who was watching Merlin’s terrified face.

“Are you sure, Sire?” he whispered.

Arthur frowned and gave a sharp nod, lifting his hand to give the signal again, when the ground shook beneath them. It rumbled and quaked, sending the knights staggering. Dust and debris began tumbling from the ceiling, one chunk hitting Gwaine and making him fall to the floor. Leon stumbled to him, shielding him with his own body as he helped him up. There was a cut on Gwaine’s forehead, blood streaking down his brow, but he waved away Leon’s hands, muttering that he was fine.

An unearthly screech rent the air and a crack split the ceiling. The knights threw their arms up over their heads and Arthur dove towards Merlin, pushing him away from the collapse.

Forget eliminating the threat. The threat was about to eliminate them!

“Retreat!” Arthur yelled over the sound of the grinding stone.

As one, the group turned, sprinting back the way they’d come in, the horrible sound of the creature and its destruction echoing behind them.

“Is it a dragon?” Percival asked as they ran, looking over his shoulder.

“No,” Merlin said grimly, as if a dragon would have been better for some reason.

He was running beside Arthur, his torch dropped but his hands curled loosely at his sides as if ready to spring into action. What sort of action _Merlin_ expected to spring into in the face of a magical beast was beyond Arthur, but he appreciated Merlin’s keen gaze as it roamed around the corridor they were dashing through and pointing out a small doorway.

“Through there!” he shouted and held the door open.

Leon pushed Gwaine through first, Percival and Elyan waiting for Arthur to go ahead of them next, before Lancelot grabbed Merlin’s arm and yanked him through too, slamming the door behind them.

It was only a temporary respite though; the walls were shaking and crumbling in there as well, the monster’s growls reverberating through the stonework. Chunks of stone rained from above them, the wall behind them crashing to the floor, Percival shouting out and stumbling into Elyan when he was hit in the back with several heavy lumps. But he kept running, holding onto Elyan for support. Every few seconds, Merlin turned to see if they were being pursued, his eyes wild as they scanned the mess behind them.

Arthur’s feet pounded on the stone floor, tripping over loose bits of rubble and masonry that had fallen from the ceiling. Beside him Merlin tripped and Lancelot threw an arm out for him to catch, dragging him back to his feet.

“Run!” Arthur shouted again, turning to glance over his shoulder. “Don’t look back!”

They didn’t need to look back; they could hear the crescendo of thunder, the fierce cracking of the castle walls breaking, the roaring of the creature. Whatever it was, it was determined to crush them under the weight of stone.

Practically falling down flights of stairs, jumping over piles of debris like hurdles strewn before them, they wound back through the castle. They crashed through the main hall and Leon gave a shout, pointing to the front gate; they had made it. Tumbling through the gate, Leon catching Gwaine as he stumbled again, they emerged onto the hillside outside the castle.

“Keep going!” Arthur beckoned with his hands frantically and the rest of them followed him into the cover of a small grove of trees at the bottom of the hill.

Only once they were beneath the dark foliage did Arthur start to slow down, his hands dropping to his knees as he bent and caught his breath. Gwaine sagged, one hand going to his head, the other grabbing Leon’s arm. Merlin rushed to him, carefully pulling his hair from the cut on his forehead. Elyan helped Percival sit down next to him, so Merlin could check him over once he’d finished with Gwaine.

“What was that thing?!” Lancelot burst out as they looked back at the castle. Clouds of rubble dust swirled, like smoke, from the collapsed walls, but they saw no trace of any creature.

“I have no idea…” Arthur breathed, hands on his hips.

“We should get back to Camelot and report it to Gaius,” Merlin added, looking up from Gwaine’s head.

Arthur would be only too happy to go back to his nice safe castle.

**Author's Note:**

> I love any and all comments.


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